Soak Up the Morning Sun – It’s Healthy!

Exposure to sunlight could help you stay lean. Well, that’s what a new research conducted by some US experts says. Waking up early in the morning to catch more daylight could be a good thing.

Recently there was a study conducted on a small group of 54 volunteers which revealed that the leanest ones were not necessarily the ones who ate right and exercised regularly. In fact they were the ones who woke up earlier and were exposed to more bright daylight. The findings of this study were published in the PLOS ONE journal by the Northwestern University researchers.

“The earlier this light exposure occurred during the day, the lower individuals’ body mass index,” said co-lead author Kathryn Reid, research associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. She went on to say, “The later the hour of moderately bright light exposure, the higher a person’s BMI.”

The average age of the subjects were 30 years and they wore wrist monitors to help measure their exposure to sunlight and their sleep cycles. The study was conducted and wrapped up over a period of seven days. The participants were even required to keep a track of and make entries of their diets and what they consumed during the 7-day cycle.

Moring light was said to have been an influence on the body mass index of a person. This was irrelevant of the physical activity level, caloric intake, sleep timing, age or the season. The study found that approximately 20% of a person’s body mass index [BMI].

“Light is the most potent agent to synchronize your internal body clock that regulates circadian rhythms, which in turn also regulate energy balance,” said study senior author Phyllis Zee. She even stated, “The message is that you should get more bright light between 8 am and noon.